Evans received the honor Thursday after becoming the fourth rookie to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. He joined an illustrious club that includes Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Evans was the fourth pick in last year's NBA draft after spending one season at Memphis. He led all rookies in scoring at 20.1 points per game, was second in assists at 5.8 per game and fifth in rebounds at 5.3

Evans is the first Sacramento player to win the award. Phil Ford, Jerry Lucas, Robertson and Maurice Stokes won it before the franchise moved to California in 1985.

MLB All-Star game to use DH yearly

NEW YORK - The designated hitter will be used in the All-Star game every year, and rosters will be expanded again to 34 under changes made by baseball's special committee for on-field matters

A pitcher who starts on the final Sunday before the All-Star break will be ineligible to pitch in the All-Star game and will be replaced on the roster, Major League Baseball said.

Under a change that runs contrary to normal baseball rules, each manager may designate a position player who will be eligible for re-entry to the game if the final position player - at any position - is injured.

- The Associated Press

Big Ben's police friends under scrutiny

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Two off-duty Pennsylvania police officers who were working for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the night he was accused of sexual assault in Georgia still face internal investigations that could cost them their full-time jobs.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell punished Roethlisberger even though a prosecutor declined to charge him over the case, saying the league's players must abide by a higher standard.

In Pennsylvania - and across the country - so must police. That's why the quarterback's police buddies still face scrutiny for being present when Roethlisberger was accused of assaulting a 20-year-old college student at a Milledgeville, Ga., nightclub March 5.

Internal investigations will look at more than just each officer's actions related to the alleged assault. They'll also review questions such as whether either officer provided alcohol to minors, or knew that was happening.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police Code of Ethics says, "'I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all,'" said Thomas Martinelli, a former Detroit officer-turned-attorney who serves as an expert witness on police misconduct.

"You bring up an example like this and say, 'Look, this is turning into a potential scandal, a potential ethical conflict. It's my duty as a law enforcement officer to extricate myself from this scenario.'"

Witnesses and Roethlisberger's accuser say a man investigators later identified as Officer Anthony Barravecchio, of suburban Coraopolis, escorted the woman down a hallway to a rest room where she says Roethlisberger forced her to have sex, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's file on the case. The accuser's friend said state Trooper Ed Joyner refused to intervene - or even make eye contact - when she asked Joyner to help get her friend out of the restroom.

Joyner hasn't returned calls to a cell phone number he gave to Georgia investigators, or messages left at his barracks and home. Barravecchio's attorney, Michael Santicola, insists neither officer did anything wrong. He said the officers' version is more reliable because they were sober, and drinking Red Bull energy drinks, while their accusers were drunk.

The attorney specifically denies Barravecchio led the accuser to the rest room. "At one time, someone asked him to show this girl where the bathroom was and he pointed down the hallway," Santicola said. "It just flat out didn't happen."

The GBI report says Barravecchio told investigators he spent most of his time at the club seated on a barstool by the door to the back hallway and didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary.

At one point, Roethlisberger said, "Hey, show this girl where the bathroom is," and Barravecchio told investigators he opened the door to the back hall and the woman followed him down the hall, giggling. When Barravecchio pointed to the bathroom she sat on a stool next to the bathroom door where Barravecchio said he left her. He said that he didn't see anyone else go back there.

Roethlisberger's accuser told investigators she was on the stool when the quarterback walked down the hallway and exposed himself.

"I told him it wasn't OK, no, we don't need to do this and I proceeded to get up and try to leave," she said. "I went to the first door I saw, which happened to be a bathroom."

According to her statement, Roethlisberger then followed her into the bathroom, shut the door, and had sex with her over her objections.

Coraopolis solicitor Richard Start said he's waiting for a copy of the 500-plus page GBI report. He expects he'll take a week to review it before he recommending to the mayor and borough council whether Barravecchio should be disciplined, fired or cleared.

Start wouldn't comment on media accounts of what the GBI report said about Barravecchio.

"I will say that the Borough Code in Pennsylvania holds policemen to a higher standard, both on duty and off duty," Start said. "Now, where that higher standard meets the conduct described, I think I have to read the report to determine that."

Pennsylvania State Police troopers must abide by a policy governing "supplemental employment" that applies to all state employees. They must get prior approval for side jobs, whether they are paid a wage or, in Joyner's case, receive other "consideration" like paid vacations.

Trooper Joyner got permission to work as Roethlisberger's assistant and chauffeur in 2005, but that was rescinded last week. Without specifying how, the state police found Joyner "demeaned" the agency and went outside the scope of his permitted side job with Roethlisberger that night.

A state police internal investigation is still under way, and could result in anything from no further penalty to firing. It must wrap up by mid-August because of a 120-day time limit on such probes, said Lt. Col. John Brown, the state police's Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Professional Responsibility.

Roethlisberger's accuser and friends have repeatedly referred to Joyner and Barravecchio as "bodyguards." Santicola denies that was part of their job description, though he said that perception could be fueled by both being large, muscular men.

The GBI file also shows Joyner told investigators he paid for some drinks consumed by Roethlisberger's party, but left it up to the nightclub's bouncers to determine if the women were 21, the legal drinking age in Georgia.

The winner of the league MVP award will be announced June 23 in Las Vegas.

Ovechkin is trying to become the first player to win three consecutive Hart Trophies since Wayne Gretzky won eight straight from 1980-87.

,li> James expects to play: LeBron James shot left-handed layups and short jumpers at practice Thursday, but the Cavaliers star is not expected to miss any of Cleveland's playoff games because of his strained right elbow and bone bruise. James was re-examined Wednesday night by team doctors, who took X-rays and an MRI exam that revealed the strain and a bruised bone near the elbow.

James was not wearing a padded sleeve over the elbow at practice Thursday, but acknowledged it was more of a film session and walkthrough rather than a physical practice. He did sit out one portion of contact drills.

"The best thing about it is there's no structural damage," James said. "The docs have given me clearance that I can't hurt it worse and I can go out and play. Maybe it's a strain in the muscle or the tendon."

Cleveland opens its best-of-seven playoff series against Boston on Saturday, and the Celtics are preparing for the same player who averaged 36.5 points against them in four regular-season games this year.

"He's fine," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "If he goes three or four games and shoots left-handed only, then I'll believe it's hurting. We'll be ready for the LeBron we've seen all through the playoffs."

James' achy elbow has been the focus since Tuesday's Game 5 victory over Chicago, when he shot a free throw left-handed in the final seconds. He made the first foul shot with no sign of trouble to give Cleveland a four-point lead with 7.8 seconds remaining. But he said the shot made his arm go numb - a recurring problem the last few weeks - and instead of burning one of Cleveland's two remaining timeouts, he missed badly after shooting with his left hand.

He walked around the practice court Thursday with his arm tucked close to his body, much like it was in the final seconds of Tuesday's game. Cleveland hid the injury for weeks and no one would have known the severity of the elbow had it not been for the awkward free throw.

James wouldn't say Thursday whether he regrets the shot attempt - and all the attention it has created.

"I'll be ready for Game 1," he said, "and I'll be a productive player."

The Celtics are expecting nothing less.

"If something's wrong with his elbow, or any part of his body, he won't play. We all know that," Guard Ray Allen said, shaking his head dismissively when asked about the chances James's injury would slow him down in the series.

The noise inside the arena Tuesday made it difficult for James to communicate with head coach Mike Brown, who initially was confused why James shot the ball left-handed. Although the arm could go numb again in the series against Boston, Brown said he will not address with his star how James handled the final few seconds of Tuesday's game.

"It happened. We move onto the next play," Brown said. "I can get into a whole bunch of hypotheticals. If we come across a situation, we'll deal with it, make the best of it and move on."

James will have daily treatments and another MRI exam next week. The NBA's MVP has been wearing a protective sleeve on his right arm, but it will not require surgery to repair.

"You don't want LeBron ... hurt at this point in the season," Brown said. "You don't have much time for recovery. We're concerned about anybody being hurt at this time of year. Hopefully everybody can stay healthy throughout the rest of this run."

The elbow affected James' ability to shoot jumpers on Tuesday, when the Cavaliers eliminated Chicago. He took just three shots in the first half and attempted two 3-pointers in the game. He hasn't shot much with his right hand the last couple of days.

"If I am limited during the game, then I'll be smart about it," James said. "That's what I was able to do in Game 5. I was very limited in shooting long-range shots, so I started going to the hole in the fourth quarter.

"I'll be ready."

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AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen contributed to this story from Waltham, Mass.